The overall theme for the Arkansas Center for Health Disparities (ARCHD) is to
develop research to improve access to quality prevention and health care
programs for racial and ethnic minorities
with a goal of reducing health
disparities. The Center focuses on chronic disease disparities with
an initial emphasis on cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes, obesity, and
cancer. Arkansas consistently ranks among the worst in the nation in health
indicators, particularly for CVD and cancer morbidity and mortality. Already large
disparities continue to increase. Arkansas has the fastest growing Latino
population in the country and the largest Marshallese community outside of
the Marshall Islands, in addition to a substantial African-American population.
To address health disparities, strong collaborations have been forged among
the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) College of Public
Health (COPH), the Arkansas Department of Health and Human Services' Division
of Health (DOH), and the Arkansas Minority Health Commission; and
relationships are developing with the state's historically black colleges
and universities (HBCUs). The Center will provide an infrastructure
to strengthen these efforts and to develop and implement research to reduce
disparities in the state's minority populations. We encourage you to learn more about our Core Areas and how they may
be of assistance by clicking on the information to your left.

Steering Committee
The Steering Committee will be chaired by the Center PI/Director (Dr. Raczynski)
and will include both Deputy Directors (Drs. Cornell and Prewitt) and Core
Directors (Drs. Cornell and Katharine Stewart), Dr. VanBiervliet, the PIs and
Co-PIs of the full research project and the PIs of the pilot projects. Mr.
Brasfield will serve as an ex-officio member of the committee.

Local Advisory Board (LAC)Patricia Jackson
Director, WE CARE of Pulaski County